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(No' Model.) I Q G..W.TRAPH'AGAN. GAP'QRSHIELD FOR BUCKLE STRAPS OE'GARRIAGE TOPS.

No; 290,289. Patented Dec. 18, 1883. I

ATTORNEYS IL PETERS. mlv-mmn vw. Washingtw. I10.

5o notches 0 cut in the center upon the same U- frn STATES ATENT BHQE.

GEORGE \V. TRAPHAGAN, OF GLENS FALLS, NElV YORKA CAP QR SHiELD FOR BUCKLE-STRAPS OF CARRIAGE-TOPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 290,289, dated December 18, 1853.

Application flled April 28, 1883.

To aZZ whom/it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE W. TRAPHA- GAN, of Glens Falls, in the county of Warren and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Gaps or Shields forthe Buckle-Straps of Carriage-Tops, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to the leather caps or shields used for covering the stitching, by which the buckles and straps are attached to carriage tops and curtains, and has for its object to avoid the labor of stitching the caps or shields in place; and to this end my invention consists, principally, in providing the caps or shields with metallic flanges that are provided with suitable tongues adapted to be passed throughthe material of the carriage top or curtain and clinched.

The invention also consists of the special construction of the flanges, all as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cap or shield made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on the line a: a; of Fig. 4, showing the method of attaching the cap or shield; and Fig. 4 is a view of the cap or shield applied in connection with a strap and buckle. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the blank used in making the metallic flanges.

The leather portions A of the cap or shield are made in the ordinary way. Upon the flanges a a of the leather portions A are placed the metallic flanges B, which are formed with the points or tongues I), that are adapted to be passed through suitable slots made in the material C of the carriage top or curtain and bent down or clinched upon the opposite inner side of said material, as shown in Fig. 3.

In making the metallic flanges B a suitable strip of sheet metal is first cut or stamped to form a blank, B, (shown in Fig. 5,) which has the tongues I) cut upon one edge, and the (No model.)

edge, and the serrations d formed along the opposite edge of the blank, which latter form teeth for grasping the flanges a a of the leather parts A, as will be understood from Figs. 2

the blank. This central portion of the blank is then bent or folded upon itself, to give it the shape in cross-section shown in Fig. 2. The blank is then bent into V form, to correspond with the shape of the caps or shields A. The blank being left in the shape shown in Fig. 2, in orderto attach the flange B to the flanges a of the caps or shields A, it is only necessary to slip these flanges a between the folded parts of the blank, and then press the parts of the blank together upon the flanges a of the caps or shields, which will cause the teeth 01 to be embedded in the material of the caps orshields, and thus securely hold the flanges B in place. Thus formed, to attach the caps or shields, the material C is simply to be properly slotted for the passage of the tongues 12, which are then to be passed through the slots and bent down and clinched upon the under or in side of the material 0. The upper surfaces of the metallic flanges B may be dentated, as shown at i, in imitation of stitching. The tongues b are by preference split, so that the parts thereof may be bent in different directions, to effect a more secure fastening.

. Constructed in this manner, it will be seen that the caps or shields may be very quickly and easily attached without stitching, that they will be as securely held in place as when stitched, and that they present a nice appearance and effect a saving in labor.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The leather caps or shields A, in combination with the metallic flanges B, having the fastening-points b and teeth d, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The blank B, for forming the flanges B,

carriagetop or other article, for securing the cap A above the buckle-fastenings and with- IO out stitching, substantially as shown and described.

GEO. \V. TRAPHAGAN.

Witnesses:

ANDREW J. CHERITREE, O. B. XVILCOX. 

